Canadian Farmers Will Lose Out

Canadian farmers are the real losers with the collapse of the W.T.O. ag talks in Geneva.

Director-General Pascal Lamy suspended the Doha Development Round of negotiations Monday due to a lack of movement by major players like the U.S. and E.U.

Liberal Agriculture Critic Wayne Easter says this changes the discussion on farm safety net programming currently happening in our country.

He notes the C.A.I.S. program and the new disaster assistance program being pondered by the Conservative government will not cut it in this new world that lacks a W.T.O. ag agreement.

Easter stresses for Canadian producers to survive they will have to be supported at the same level as farmers in the United States.

He is sceptical the talks will be resurrected, noting it will be up to the U.S. and European Union to make the first move.